Plans for PRH: Extraordinary Meeting of Telford & Wrekin Council called

The Leader of Telford & Wrekin Council has called an Extraordinary Meeting to discuss the future of emergency services at the Princess Royal Hospital.

It follows reports that the Princess Royal Hospital faces losing its Accident and Emergency Department and the Women and Children’s Centre to Shrewsbury.

The meeting will call on the Secretary of State for Health to intervene and halt the plan.

Councillor Shaun Davies said: “It simply makes no sense to spend £28million on a brand new health facility in the Women and Children’s Centre, only to consider closing it barely two years later. This highly successful centre was built in Telford because evidence showed it was needed here. The case for keeping it in Telford is no different.

“We have always argued that the County should have two A&Es but if there must be one, it should be at the Princess Royal Hospital because it is the quickest and cheapest site to deliver. Millions have been spent over the years on deciding the future of hospital services and, if this is allowed to happen, millions more will be squandered. It just doesn’t make sense.

“This is an urgent matter and requires the Council as a whole to give its view.”

The meeting will be held at 6pm on Thursday 6 October at Telford College of Arts and Technology.

The Motion proposed by Councillor Davies reads: “This Council deplores the recent recommendation by the NHS Future Fit programme’s non-financial review of hospital services to move the new £28m state of the art Women & Children’s Unit and the Accident & Emergency unit from the Princess Royal Hospital to Shrewsbury.

“It makes no sense to move the very successful Women & Children’s Unit only two years after it opened and reverse the proven clinical case for this unit being based in Telford.

“We call on the Secretary of State for Health to immediately intervene and put a permanent halt to this flawed plan and fund Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin’s health economy sufficiently to ensure we can maintain two properly resourced A&Es and retain the Women’s & Children’s Unit at the PRH.

“Full Council also supports the Cabinet in taking all necessary steps to keep health services in Telford and Wrekin, including launching a judicial review if necessary.”

Proposed by Cllr Shaun Davies Leader of Telford and Wrekin Council (Leader of Telford and Wrekin Labour Group)

Seconded by Cllr Andrew Eade, Leader of the Opposition, Telford & Wrekin Council (Leader of Telford and Wrekin Conservative Group)